The Chrysler Horizon was a five-door family hatchback sold from 1978 to 1987. Designed by Roy Axe at Chrysler Europe’s Whitley studio as a replacement for the Simca 1100 and Hillman Avenger, it won the 1979 European Car of the Year and, after the sale of Chrysler Europe to Peugeot, continued as a Talbot.
Chrysler Horizon at a glance
| Production | 1978–1987 |
|---|---|
| Developed as | project C2 |
| Designer | Roy Axe, Whitley studio |
| Engineering | Simca, Poissy |
| Body | five-door hatchback only |
| Engines | 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5 L Simca “Poissy” OHV fours |
| Gearbox | four-speed, five-speed from Series II in 1982 |
| Suspension | torsion bars |
| Award | European Car of the Year 1979 |
| Built in | France, England, Spain and Finland |
| Total built | 1,070,222 |
| Replaced by | Peugeot 309 |
History of the Chrysler Horizon
A world car for Europe
The Horizon was developed by Chrysler Europe under the codename C2, styled in the United Kingdom at the Whitley design studio by Roy Axe and engineered at Poissy in France by Simca to replace the ageing 1100 range and the Hillman Avenger. It was intended as a “world car” for buyers on both sides of the Atlantic and was designed alongside the American Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon, though the European and North American cars ended up substantially different. In effect the Horizon was a shortened version of the larger Alpine, which gave it an unusually wide track for its length. It used transversely mounted 1.1-, 1.3- and 1.5-litre Simca-designed “Poissy” overhead-valve engines, four-speed gearboxes and torsion-bar suspension, and was praised for crisp styling, a supple ride and competent handling.
Launch and names
Introduced in summer 1978, the car was sold in France under the Simca name and elsewhere in Europe as a Chrysler. Peugeot’s purchase of Chrysler’s European division in 1978 ended both brands, and from 1979 the Horizon was a Talbot in all its European markets. The SX version shown at the Paris Motor Show in October 1978 attracted attention for its trip computer, which combined clock, fuel-flow and distance information to report current consumption, average speeds and journey times in metric or imperial units; it later became an option on lesser models. The Horizon replaced the rear-engined Simca 1000 and was voted European Car of the Year in 1979. Initially available only in LS or GL trim, it was built at Poissy from launch, at Ryton in England from 1979, and under licence in Spain and by Saab-Valmet in Finland.
Series I and II
There was never a three-door Horizon: on the continent the Simca 1100 stayed on sale to cover that gap, and in Britain the rear-wheel-drive Chrysler Sunbeam was sold alongside it until 1981, with the Avenger saloons and estates also continuing to 1981. By the early 1980s the Horizon was losing ground to the Volkswagen Golf, Opel Kadett and third-generation Ford Escort, with the unrefined overhead-valve engines largely to blame and body corrosion a serious problem until the Series II. The Series II of July 1982 brought a five-speed gearbox, black bumpers, a smaller rear window and a raised parcel shelf for more boot space, plus LED displays: an “econometer” around the speedometer edge on some models and an LED tachometer on higher trims. In 1987 the final Horizon was built in Finland by Saab-Valmet, the last Talbot-badged passenger car, and Peugeot replaced it with the 309.
Design and features
- Wide track, short body: a shortened Alpine platform that gave the Horizon unusually stable handling.
- Trip computer: the 1978 SX calculated fuel consumption, average speed and journey time.
- Torsion-bar suspension: a supple ride from the Simca-derived chassis.
- Five-door only: no three-door was ever offered.
- Series II equipment: five-speed gearbox, LED econometer and LED tachometer.
Chrysler Horizon versions
- LS and GL (1978): the two launch trim levels.
- SX (1978): the high trim that introduced the trip computer.
- Series I (1978–1982): four-speed gearbox and original styling.
- Series II (1982–1987): five-speed gearbox, black bumpers and LED instruments.
- Simca, Chrysler and Talbot versions: the same car under three brand names.
The Horizon replaced the Chrysler 1100 and the Chrysler Avenger, and it was developed from the Chrysler Alpine. More cars are in the Chrysler collection.
Video: Plymouth Horizon 2.2 – The Nugget
Video by 24kilo on YouTube.
Sources
- Chrysler Horizon, English Wikipedia: development, launch, trims, production
- Chrysler Horizon, Wikimedia Commons: photographs
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